Chapter 19: Advanced skills for pregnancy and birth
How to sew tears
Use a curved needle this way:
If possible, use a needle holder.
If you want
the point
to come
out in this
direction,
you have to put
the needle in
pointing down.
Grasp the needle in
the middle, but a little
closer to the base
than the point. Do
not grasp the suture
in the needle holder
— it may break.
There are a few different types of stitches you can use. Do the stitch you are trained
to do and feel the most comfortable using. A simple and strong stitch is called the
interrupted stitch. An interrupted stitch is simply a single stitch that is knotted with
a 4-layer knot, then both sides of the suture are cut.
Put the needle in one
side of the cut or tear,
about 1/2 centimeter
from the edge of
the tear.
Bring the needle up on
the other side of the
tear, 1/2 centimeter from
the edge.
Make a 4-layer knot
(see page 364).
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A Book for Midwives (2010)